Red coral Corallium rubrum Is the king of the benthic mediterranean fauna. It lives in many parts of Italy, but in few of these it grows in a such luxuriant way at depths within the reach of sport divers. One of these places is Palinuro where a dive at Point Spartivento leaves a pleasant memory. From the sea It's like a double pointed spur Including a very small cove. It divides north from south winds with an Imponent vertical wall. Some metres above sea level, the disposition of some holes in the rock Is called "the witch". Different Itineraries are possible, let's consider two of them: South Point and North Point. 

South Point

We dive in a vertical wall till the depth of 21 metres where Is a plateau. The first shelters with red coral start at -33 mt. and continue till -40 mt. and more. The light of the torch illuminates the small white polyps with eight feather like tentacles. The deeper we go, size and quantity grow. The "red gold is beautiful in it's natural environment, much better than in shop's windows or at some ladies neck. We double the point keeping right and the red coral carpet continues. Interesting the coloured spots of the yellow cave sponge Aplysína covernico­la. Also the opercular tube worm Serpula vermicularis is nice to be seen. We reach the big rocky monolith (-24 / -40 mt) is the center of the small cove and after a general view we start the ascent. 

North Point

We swim for ten metres throu6h a tunnel that opens at -39 mt and keeping right we have a very uncommon vision; for the orientation of the wall the big trree coral branches stand out in the blue. The view is so evocative we don't switch on the lights not to disturb the magic moment. The effective Port Authorities control with the support of serious diving centres. has prevented the coral harvesting. I hope that an Increasing Interest for ecology does the rest of the red coral in these conditions. We have the possibility to visit a huge cavern with It's typical inhabitants. In the surroundings a big dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus lives.